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Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) opened a new Inter Terminal Route (ITR) on Sunday linking the PSA International-run Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT) with the other four container terminals at the state-run port.
The new route will reduce the container movement distance between BMCT and the other terminals at JNPT from 5 km to 2.5 km in one direction. This route will be used exclusively for the movement of trans-shipment (TP) and Inter Terminal Rail Handling Operation (ITRHO) containers between BMCT and other terminals at JNPT, enabling a smooth and continuous flow of ITRHO and TP containers.
“The opening of the new Inter Terminal Route will help in smoothening the overall trade cycle and enhance our efficiency. It will further streamline the movement of rail containers between BMCT and the other four container terminals at the port,” Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, JNPT said.
In a separate yet related development, BMCT will open a new rail buffer yard on Monday to handle ITRHO boxes. The yard is located adjacent to its rail lines, at the ITR road entrance. The combination of the shorter ITR route and the rail buffer yard will cut the one-way trucking distance from BMCT to other terminals of JNPT to 400 metres.
ITRHO aims to maximise train placement, track productivity, efficiency, cost-effective handling, reduced dwell time of import ICD boxes, connecting export ICD boxes to respective terminals in time and also increase the rail quotient at JNPT.
Trade will be benefited as the new route would ensure timely connection of export containers arriving by train in mixed condition to the particular vessel in any of the terminals, and also enhance the train handling time at JNPT, Sethi added.
Overall, the new route is expected to increase the rail share and volume of trans-shipment containers at JNPT.
The inter-terminal transfer of containers is a system that is unique to JNPT, whereby, container train operators run mixed trains that carry boxes designated for more than one container terminal.
It is the responsibility of the other terminals to send their trailers to fetch the containers from the “handling terminal” and move it to their respective terminals for further loading onto ships, according to the arrangement mutually agreed by all the terminals before BMCT started operations at JNPT in February 2018.
The same process is followed for the import cycle also.
The rail terminals of the older terminals are in close proximity to each other, whereas the BMCT rail lines are at an average distance of 5 km from others. The additional cost factor due to the large distance was a major hindrance to the inter terminal transfer of containers between BMCT and other terminals, sparking a row between them.
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